


Castle of Devils

by Fullofanxiety



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Blood, Blood Drinking, Castles, Dracula Influence/References, Fire, M/M, Past Abuse, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), Temporary Character Death, Vampires, gun mention
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2020-02-28 16:31:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18760177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fullofanxiety/pseuds/Fullofanxiety
Summary: Roman works part time as a realtor with his childhood best friend and boss, Logan Sanders. Now he's being sent to an all expenses paid trip to a region in Romania called Transylvania to help a man purchase a home in America and learn the culture and customs. Before he can even make it to Castle Dracula, a cashier in a local gas station warns him of devils in the castle and gives him a cross to ward of the evil as he promises to slay the best. However, when he finally meets his host, Virgil Stoker, he finds himself confused and crushing.Why do the locals think its a castle of devils?What's up with Virgil?Will Roman trust him?Each chapter will have its own set of warnings.





	1. Roman Gets A Warning and Meets His Mysterious Host

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Talk of devils, blood mention, let me know if I missed any

Roman glanced out the tinted window of the black limousine as it drove through the grassy country side on it's way to Castle Dracula. Certainly a weird name for a castle, and not very inviting. Especially with “Dracul” meaning "devil" in Romanian. Roman, being the prince like character he was, was truly prepared to fight whatever evil the castle may provide (despite his promise to his boss, Logan Sanders, telling him that he was he only going to help a client purchase a home in America and help him learn what to expect with American life.) Roman was suspicious. Very suspicious. 

Soon the limo stopped to get some gas and Roman stepped out to use the restroom. When he entered the gas station, he noticed the people in the building were watching him with a careful and weary eye. He frowned, suspicious. "Could I use your restroom?" He asked the cashier. 

The women behind the counter nodded and pointed to the restroom as she kept an eye on the limo outside. Something about the way these people reacted to the limo and him struck Roman wrong. He decided that he would ask about it when he got back. 

Roman stepped out of the restroom and saw that the cashier was now looking at him. "You should be careful," she said. "That castle has devils. Devils worse than you can imagine." 

Roman frowned. "What kind of devils?" 

"They plague us." She shuddered. "They come and steal lives through blood. They are not good." She then reached under the counter and pulled out a cross. "Here," she said as she slid it across the counter. "This will protect you. Devils don't like symbols of God." 

Roman took the cross and hung it around his neck, tucking it inside his shirt. "I shall do what I can to purge you of these devils you speak of. On my honor." 

The women shook her head. "We shall pray for your safe return.” Roman nodded and stepped outside to return to the car. 

And he was off again. It wasn't until it was dark out and nearing midnight that they finally reached the forest surrounding the castle. Roman cast a wary glance out the window at the twisted tree limbs and fog seeping through the ground. Roman even thought he heard the howling of wolves a few times. Soon enough, they arrived at the castle.

Roman stepped out of the car as the driver opened the door and leaned his head back as he looked at the imposing structure. It was old, most definitely. And it was in that gothic style that was reminiscent of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France.    
A chill ran up Roman's spine as he imagined dungeons and secret passageways. Ghouls and demons lurking in the dark as you walked by. He pictured ghosts floating down the hall, an unearthly glow following them as they wandered aimlessly through echoing rooms. Roman took his bags from the driver, who then seemed to disappear into thin air, and walked through the tall, wrought iron gates leading to the castle.

He jumped as the gates slammed shut, spinning around to find no one there. He shuddered and froze when he heard the unmistakable sound of howling in the distance. "I shall be safe in here," he muttered to himself. But he couldn't stop the fast-paced thumping of his heart as he heard the unnerving sounds come closer. Roman almost raced to the front door of the castle and raised his hand to knock on the tall wooden door, only to have it pull open.

Roman had to glance up a bit to meet the eyes of his host. He was a pale man with dark brown, almost black, hair and steely grey eyes that stared at him. Roman was not prepared for this. Not at all.

"Come in," the other spoke, his voice deep and smooth. Roman tried to stop his gay heart and mind as he stepped over the threshold and into the entrance of the castle. Roman's eyes were wide in awe as he stared at the cavernous room, before turning back to the other man. 

"I'm Virgil Stoker. Welcome to my home." Roman glanced at the man again. So this was the man who was his client. He was certainly very handsome. He wore a black dress shirt with a violet velvet vest and dark slacks. Underneath his silver eyes, he wore dark eyeshadow that stood out like a stamp on his fair skin. 

"I'm Roman Prinz." 

Virgil nodded. "Yes," he replied. "I assumed as such. Come with me." Virgil then took Roman's bags and started up the stairs with no difficulty despite the heaviness of the bags. Roman narrowed his eyes in suspicion. How could he have lifted them? Surely he wasn't that strong.

Roman followed Virgil up the grand staircase until he stopped in front of a door. Virgil set the bags down and unlocked the door and opened it, letting the other go in first. 

Roman stepped inside and gaped at the decor. It was, to put it simply, perfect. The color scheme was so him! Whites, reds, and golds splattered the room. His bed was fit for a king with it's satin red bedspread with intricate gold designs and fluffy soft pillows. The windows were covered with deep red velvet curtains that spoke royalty. The room was so princely and enchanting that Roman felt like it was made for him by a fairy godmother. 

"I called and asked Mr. Sanders about how I could make you comfortable during your stay. And he sent me emails of color schemes and options for furniture and decorations. I hope it is to your liking?" Roman turned and watched as the other placed his bags on the chest at the end of his bed.

"It is. Its perfect. Thank you." Roman watched as Virgil's lips almost twitched into a smile. 

"Come. You've had a long journey. You must be hungry." Virgil led Roman back down the winding stairs into the great hall where a long table was set with silver platters filled with food. Virgil pulled out a chair for Roman and pushed him in. "Please, eat your fill." Roman quickly filled his plate and began eating. 

Soon, however, he realized that Virgil had not eaten a single bit the entire time. "Are you not hungry?" He asked. 

Virgil shook his head. "I ate earlier. No need to worry." Roman nodded and continued his meal as Virgil watched. 

Just as it was getting uncomfortable Virgil looked down and cleared his throat, somewhat nervously, might one add. “I think it would be a good time to learn a little about each other if that's alright?” 

Roman swallowed his food and nodded. “Yes. Well, although I work in real estate, one day I would really like to work as an actor. I'm also fond of the creative arts-”

Virgil suppressed a soft smile as he listened to the excited man ramble about his interests. He was not expecting to find this man so attractive. And despite Virgil's promise to himself many moons ago, he found himself falling fast and hard for the other man. It certainly didn't help him any learning that Roman loved Disney, like him. They were almost complete opposites but, Virgil couldn't help falling. He was so screwed. 

Soon, after Virgil almost had a breakdown over his crush, he was bringing Roman back up to his room. "Good night,”  _ Should I do a nickname? What would he think? Oh no I'm too much of a disaster for this. _ “Sleep well, Princey." 

And then Virgil was gone before he could see Roman's reaction. Roman stood frozen for a moment as he processed it.  _ Princey? I can't say I don't like it.  _

As Roman was getting ready for bed, he caught sight of the cross hanging around his neck and remembered the events at the gas station.  _ “That castle has Devils. Devils worse than you can imagine.”  _ Roman frowned. As far as he knew, it seemed the only one here was Virgil. Although his host was a bit…different than Roman was used to, he couldn't possibly be a devil. He was too kind. 

Roman sighed moved to his window to get some fresh air. He drew back the curtains and opened the window doors. They opened out into the night air and Roman leaned forward to take a deep breath of air as he toyed with the cross hanging from his neck.  _ “Devils don't like symbols of God.”  _ Roman looked down the outside wall of the tower he was in and sighed. “Virgil couldn't possibly be a devil. He's too handsome.” A thought in the back of Roman's mind reminded him that Lucifer was in fact handsome according to the stories he had heard before. He stared at the small river below his window as he thought over a few things. It was a fairly big castle, yet, there seemed to be no one else living here. And all the food, who cooked it? Was it Virgil? How long must it have taken him? And the room. 

Roman turned back to face his bedroom. It was well decorated. All of it. And everything looked so fairytale perfect. Some of the furniture he found was handcrafted with tiny details that spoke of days worth of work. Why would Virgil put so much effort into all of this when Roman would only be here for a little over a month. This was too much work for a guest. 

Roman ran a hand through his hair and closed the window before drawing the curtains close. He was exhausted. That must be why he was overthinking everything. Roman crossed the room to his bed and climbed into the soft sheets and pulling the blanket up to wrap around his shoulders. It was late, and tomorrow would be his first day of work helping Virgil find an estate somewhere in America and learn what sort of things to expect in America. 

As Roman snuggled deeper under the covers, he couldn't help but remember his promise to the cashier,  _ “I shall do what I can to purge you of these devils you speak of. On my honor." _ And with that sentence on his mind, he fell into a deep slumber. 

 


	2. Virgil: Possible Love Interest or Monster? (Question Left Unanswered)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: mentions of blood, let me know if I missed any.

Roman awoke the next morning to find a tray sitting outside his door with a note. He frowned slightly before glancing around. He wasn't sure how long the food had been out there, he hoped it was still warm. Grabbing the tray, he brought the tray inside and closed the door behind him. Taking a moment to debate where he wanted to eat, he decided to sit his breakfast on the desk beside the window so he could sit and look out at the view. 

He shoved the velvet red curtains aside dramatically (as he did everything) and sat down, opening the window, he let out a surprised breath at the view. It was, it the simplest of terms,  _ enchanting _ . The sun shone down on the land, it's beams hitting the multicolored leaves adorning the trees below. The reds, yellows, and oranges swirled through the air as they fell from the dying branches. The twinkling of the cool water in the river below as it ran over small pebbles and rocks was picturesque, and Roman could have sworn he could hear the trickling of the crystal liquid as he flowed. He let out a small shiver as the crisp fall breeze blew through the air, bringing with it, the smell of apples and pumpkins. The whole scene was like something out of a fairytale. 

Roman felt a small, content smile make its way to his face before he turned to his food. He delicately picked up the small note bearing his name with intricate, crimson script. Bringing the note close to himself and opening it, he felt his breath hitch in his throat as the faint scent of... _ something,  _ trailed along with it. Roman felt his head grow slightly dizzy. The smell was  _ intoxicating.  _ It was the smell of crisp autumn leaves, the smell of pumpkin spices, clover, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The smell of ancient tomes and a slight smell of thrill seeking danger. Roman recognized the scent as it all swirled around him in one unique smell that he distinctly remembered from last night.  _ Virgil.  _

Roman felt his cheeks warm. He hasn't even been here one night and he was already finding himself falling for someone. And it was his  _ host! _ At that. Roman shook his head to clear his head of thoughts of pale skin and stormy eyes. He quickly read through the note his host left him.

_ Dear Mr. Prinz,  _

_ I trust you had a pleasant sleep? Please enjoy this meal I have prepared for you when you wake. I shall be quite busy today and I hope that you can get yourself settled into your new home for the next month. If you finish that, please enjoy my library. It has a vast collection of novels and I can only hope you will find something that intrigues you. I shall come find you somewhere around five and then we can start my studies. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask.  _

_ Yours truly, Virgil Stoker _

_ P.s. the Wifi password is alucard500 _

Roman chuckled breathlessly before setting the paper down and starting on his food. As he ate, he looked out over the forest surrounding the castle. His thoughts wandered from the serene view to the people in the gas station. Why were they so scared of this place? Sure it looked scary on the outside, at night with wolves howling, but in the day, it was like something out of a fairytale. 

Roman frowned. What could they possibly be scared of? It couldn't have been the castle's owner. Virgil was too kind and polite, albeit a little weird, but that couldn't be cause enough for them to call him a devil. And it wasn't like there was anyone else who lived here who could have caused the reputation of devils. Could it possibly be the castle? Maybe something in its past. Could it be haunted? Are there ghost and literal devils and demons here? Could it be a previous owner? The land?

Roman was beginning to drive himself mad as he went over countless possibilities in his head.  _ Maybe I could ask Virgil? _ He thought as he finished his breakfast.  _ Yes. Surely Virgil would know how the rumors came about.  _ Roman stood up from his spot on the window sill and began to unpack his things and put them away. He was extremely happy to find his closet was much bigger than his one at home. After he was done, he opened the door to his joined bathroom and took a nice soothing bath in the clawfoot tub. 

As he soaked in the warm water with the soothing smell of candles swimming through the air and the instrumental tracks to every Disney song playing from his phone, he thought,  _ Why would anyone want to leave?  _ Roman's green eyes flew open as he hit Eureka.  _ Maybe Virgil wants to leave because they whisper such nasty rumors about him!  _ It wasn't much, but it at least gave some light? On the subject. It still didn't give him an answer as to why such wicked rumors were spread in the first place. Although, it could possibly be due to a lifestyle of Virgil's or part of his personality. 

Roman let out a sigh and sank into the tub as he closed his eyes and relaxed his muscles. It wasn't really something he should concern himself with. After all, it wasn't like it involved him. For all he knew, it could just be a family feud that doesn't involve games and television. Roman pushed all thoughts from his mind and focused on the music spilling through the air, creating a calming atmosphere as Roman prepared for this evenings lesson with his host. 

\----

Roman found himself sitting at his desk, a few minutes before five, writing about his stay so far when a feather like knock sounded at his door. Roman startled slightly and turned his head to the door. “Mr. Prinz? If you're ready we can start the lesson now.” Roman glanced down at his attire, he was wearing a pair of black dress slacks and a crisp white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top two buttons were undone.  _ Is this professional enough?!?!  _ “Mr. Prinz? Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I'm coming!” Roman called out as he frantically glanced around the room, forgetting his dilemma of a few seconds ago as he tried to make sure his room was at least presentable. Roman moved quickly to the door and fixed his hair before opening the door. “Good evening Mr. Stoker.” 

Virgil quickly took Roman in, suppressing the irregular jump of his heart in his chest. The reaction totally wasn't due to how handsome Roman looked. Not at all. “Please, call me Virgil,” he replied before stepping away from the door and sweeping his arm to the side. “Shall we?” 

Roman swallowed a lump in his throat as he nodded and left his room, closing the door behind him and looked expectantly at the other. A ghost of a smile spread across Virgil's smooth pale face before he lead the way through the hall to the study where they would be completing the lessons. 

Roman took the time to study his host's face as they traveled through the dimly lit halls of the castle, the flickering light of the candles (not sure why the castle had candles what with all the technology this age provided but Roman appreciated the aesthetic) casting shadows across the darkly dressed man's face. What had Virgil so busy today? Roman had to admit, it was a little strange that he had only ever seen his host in the shadowy hours of the dark. Then again, Roman hadn't even been here for two days. He could just be paranoid. Although, he wouldn't lie and say the words of the cashier weren't still ringing in his head, putting him on edge. 

Roman continued to glance at Virgil as they walked through the halls. On one of these small stalker moments, Roman caught a glimpse of Virgil's eyes. They shone slightly in the light, the grey orbs flashing with mystery. And, oh, how Roman loved mystery. They stopped outside of closed door, which must have been the study, and Roman watched as the other twisted the silver handle and pushed the door open. Virgil stepped through the threshold and Roman followed, finally tearing his eyes away from the other man and getting a look at his surroundings. There was a wide window overlooking the back of the castle grounds where a sprawling garden of flowers and trees of all sorts stood. It was beautiful. 

Roman tore his attention away from the view outside and took in the view on the inside. It was gorgeous. Rich mahogany bookshelves stood along the wall to the right, the spines thick with words. To the left, a magnificent woven tapestry hung against the wall, it's thread woven picture depicting a scene of the ocean, her waves reflecting the full moon as it floated above her vast waters. The stars accompanying the moon in the sky of the artwork seemed to almost twinkle in silent knowledge of complex detail. In the middle of all of this, a table stood out amongst the other elements of the room. 

The table was a deep brown, its chairs of the same shade. It was round with the base carved into the shape of a great tree trunk, it's thick branches holding up the surface on which one would place their books. Although, Roman would wonder how anyone could possibly place anything atop its surface was when it's face was decorated with such delicate, intricate detail. Roses and thorns carved themselves into the table, their stems connecting all of them all over the wooden surface. It was magical. 

Virgil noticed his awe. “You like it?” He asked as Roman ran a tan hand over the dark wood with a feather light touch. He nodded. 

“Yeah, this is-” he swallowed. “This is truly magnificent. Such gorgeous craftsmanship. It's like something out of a fairytale,” Roman breathed out, his voice soft with appreciation. “Wherever did you get it?” 

A smile tugged at Virgil's lips as he watched Roman. He shifted slightly before mumbling. “I-I made it.” 

Roman stopped running his fingertips over the carvings and turned to look at the other, surprise evident on his chiseled features. “You-you made this?” He asked, his voice soft. Virgil nodded and scratched at his cuticles. Roman glanced at the table beneath his fingers and felt a warm feeling blossom in his chest. He turned back to Virgil. “Virgil… this is magnificent. Truly. You have a gift.” 

A faint blush colored Virgil's cheeks as  **the** blood warmed his face. Roman watched as the other stared at him with what could only be an expression of pleasant surprise and felt  _ his _ blood rush to face as it turned a slightly darker shade of blush. After a few moments of uncomfortable warmth and silence, Virgil cleared his throat. “Um, shall we get started?” He asked. 

Roman stayed silent for a few moments as he waited for his cheeks to cool, then he nodded. “Yes. Let's begin.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think?


	3. Roman Eats Dinner and Wonders If the Villagers Were Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: mentions of slaying a beast, hint at past bad romance, please let me know if I missed any.

Roman and Virgil worked on lessons for over an hour and a half. Finally, sometime around 6:40, Virgil sat back from the table with a sigh. “I think now would be a good time to stop,” he said as he looked across at Roman. The other sighed and ran a hand through his dark curly hair. 

“I suppose,” he started before leaning back. “That would be wise.” 

Virgil stood and turned to Roman. “Dinner should be done soon.” Roman nodded. A beat of silence as Virgil watched the other. “Would you like to go down to the dining room?” 

Roman stood up and stretched. Virgil's eyes widened slightly and he quickly averted his eyes. “Yeah,” Roman let out a sigh before looking at Virgil. “What's on the menu for tonight?” 

Virgil shrugged. “Just some pasta. Hope that's alright with you?” 

Roman smiled. “Of course! I love pasta!” Virgil suppressed a smile as he left the room, Roman following close behind. 

As the two walked through the halls, Virgil tried to ignore  **the blood** rushing through his veins. He was a little uncomfortable, he had to admit. It had been a little while since he had someone else in his home. But Virgil liked it that way. He wasn't a very sociable person. However, he had to admit that….over the years, he had gotten lonely with only his pet cats to keep him company. That and the occasional “food” and grocery run. 

Virgil shook his head slightly as they made their way into the dinning room. Virgil turned back to Roman. “I'll go check the food.” 

“Okay.” 

Virgil nodded awkwardly before he left. Roman watched as the other left. His host was a mystery. And Roman was beginning to find himself falling more and more in love with mystery. He quickly snapped out of it and let out a breathless sigh. Logan was right, he really was a hopeless romantic. Running a hand through his hair he turned and took a better look at the room. He glanced at the walls and noticed more woven tapestries. One of them seemed to show what could only be of the Stoker family line. Walking over to the tapestry, he stared in awe at the amazing attention to detail. Every person on the family tree had a small portrait along with their name. The stitched pictures and names were so perfect. Roman figured it must have taken ages to complete the whole piece. He reached forward and let his fingertips grazed the woven fabric gently. His eyes trailed from branch to branch, inspecting the different members of Virgil's family. 

Roman's fingers stopped at a name and he felt his breath catch in his throat at the picture. His eyes were more guarded. And somehow the thread captured his silver eyes perfectly. Virgil's pale skin stood out against the dark richness of the background fabric. Roman let his pointer finger trail over the picture Virgil's jaw. Roman wondered what it would feel like to have his fingers graze the real Virgil's face. 

Roman let out a reluctant sigh as he let his hand drop away from the tapestry. His head dropped to his dress shoes. He really needed to stop letting his heart do what it wanted. It didn't help last time. Roman shook his head and turned away from the tapestry. Looking around his eyes caught onto a piece of art behind the head of the table. His jaw dropped and he migrated over to the stain glass window and let his eyes drink in the brilliant colors. The stained glass depicted a cross of silver. Then the background was various different sized rectangles, each colored either purple, red, or gold in a range of different shades. It was beautiful in its simplicity.

Roman tentatively reached a hand out and let his fingertips ghost the cool, colored glass. It was magnificent. Roman felt a small smile spread across his face. A throat cleared behind him. He whirled around to find Virgil standing beside the table. Plates and food already sitting there. How could they have gotten there? Surely they weren't there a few minutes ago. And why hadn't Roman heard Virgil come in? 

“Are you ready to eat?” Virgil asked as he watched Roman move over to a chair and sit down. 

“Yeah. Sorry, I didn't hear you come in, I could have helped you carry the food in.” 

Virgil gave a ghost of a smile. “Do not worry about it. You are my guest. You need not worry about such tasks.” Roman listened as he piled food onto his plate. 

“Yeah, I know but I still could help.” 

Virgil looked thoughtful for a moment as he sat down at the head of the table. “Perhaps,” was all he said as he watched Roman way for the second night.

Roman waited a few bites before stopping. “Are you not going to eat?” He asked as he looked at the baren space on the table in front of Virgil. 

Virgil glanced down and back at him before shrugging. “I ate earlier.” 

Roman frowned. He didn't believe it. But he wasn't going to ask anymore questions. He couldn't, otherwise, Virgil might notice something's up and be on to him. “So, what kind of work do you do?” Roman asked as he turned back to his food, keeping a discreet eye on the other. 

“I work as an author.” 

Roman nodded. “What kind of work do you write?” 

Virgil leaned back in his chair. “Mostly horror, or supernatural stuff. Although I have written a few crime stories.” 

“Do you think I could read any of them?” 

Virgil's stormy grey eyes shot over to look at him. “You'd really want to read one?” He asked, skeptically. 

Roman nodded as he swallowed this bite of food. “Yeah, I have to imagine living in an old castle like this helps with the imagination. I think I'd like to read what came from it.” 

Virgil's eyes studied him for a moment to see if he was genuinely interested. After a few moments he dropped the intense gaze and sighed. “Sure. Do you have any preferences?” 

“I'm sure whatever you pick will be fine.”

Virgil nodded absently as he watched Roman. “I'll drop the book off before you go to bed.” 

“Okay.” Roman nodded as he ate his food. The silence stretched between them for a few moments until Roman cleared his throat. “The food is delicious. Where'd you learn to cook?” 

Virgil looked over to Roman. “My mother. She taught me all I know.”

“She must be a lovely women.” 

Virgil nodded, suddenly looking nostalgic. “Yeah,” he breathed. “She was. She really was.” 

Roman froze.  _ Oh, Roman. You dunce.  _ He turned to Virgil. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-” 

Virgil shook his head. Cutting Roman off, he said, “It's alright. It was a long time ago. She's in a better place now.” 

Roman gave a small sympathetic smile to the other before turning back to his food. As he ate, he tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut. Maybe he should stop learning things about his host. If he learned that what the cashier had said was true, that there were devils in this castle and his host was one of them, it would be best he had not gotten close and humanized the beast. 

Roman snuck a glance at Virgil as the other let his guard down and stared off into space, thinking, or perhaps just being. Roman felt his heart sigh as he watched the softened features of his host.

Virgil's eyes were no longer a cold grey. They were the softness of the clouds, not quite thunderclouds but they were getting there. His icy pale skin was now the soft clouds of dreams and fantasies. His expression was calm; no tension. Not even the normal stiff jaw. Roman found, that in the soft light of the great hall they sat in, his host was, dare he say it? Dreamy? Of course, Roman would never admit this. He didn't want to sound like a lovesick fool. 

Roman wasn't the one who became lovesick. He was the one who caused the lovesickness! He was the one who made people fall for him. He didn't fall in love like this! He wasn't the one who stuttered in front of their crush! He was the smooth one! Yet, Roman couldn't deny that Virgil had caught him off guard. He found himself really wishing that the cashier was wrong. He didn't want to think what he would have to do if he feel in love with a beast. His heart squeezed at the thought. He swallowed thickly. His duties came first. It didn't matter that he wasn't a real prince or knight. What mattered was his honor. He had promised the people (cashier) that he would save them from the evils they told him of. And he would keep his word. Roman stabbed at a meatball. 

Even if it meant his heart breaking in the process. 

\-----

Roman let out a frustrated sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't falling in love with his host. Nope. Not at all, it wasn't possible. It wasn't going to happen. He glanced at the book on his bedside table and felt his breath catch in his throat. 

His host was being so kind to him, and here has was thinking about him as if he were a monster to be slain. He pulled at his curls. This would be so much easier if he could just know. But he knew his heart would never let him completely remove himself from anything he did. His heart, his passion, went into every decision he made. 

Roman let out a resigned sigh as he reached over and plucked the book from the table and pulled it into his lap. “The Dragon Witch's Destruction,” he read. The cover was fairly unassuming. It was dark, the silhouette of, what could only be a witch, looking over a small town. And its eyes was a jaded green with slitted pupils like that of a cat's. He flipped the novel over and read the summary. “The tale of the villain. How the dragon witch's destruction revealed the true motive behind Maleficent's curse.” 

Roman felt a tingle run up his spine. It was practically Disney fan fiction! And he was excited! He loved Disney! And this darker side of things seemed just like something right up Virgil's alley. A broad smile spread across his face. Maybe he could discuss Disney with Virgil!

Roman cracked open the book as he snuggled into his luxurious bed. For now, he would forget his dilemmas. For now, he would be transported into the world of fairytales. For now, “Once Upon A time, there was a witch who had the wonderful ability to turn into a dragon at will…” Roman read deep into the night. His troubles silenced by the wonderful world of Disney. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think?


	4. Late Night Mob and Themed Living Rooms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: fire, blood mention, wound, angry mob, angry words?, gun mention, like it brief, I think that's it please let me know if I missed any.

Roman groaned as he rubbed his eyes, setting the book down, he climbed out of bed and crossed to his window. He leaned out the window, getting a small breath of fresh air before he closed the window and went to bed. He smiled softly before he glanced down and noticed what seemed to be a sprinkling of some kind of dark substance on the stones outside. He felt uneasy bubble in his stomach as he stared at it. 

Roman shook his head and closed the window before closing the curtains.  _ Just my mind playing tricks on me. That's all.  _ Roman crawled back into his bed and snuggled under the covers. He closed his eyes after flicking the light off. Soon, he fell into a fitful sleep, filled with dark figures, sharp fangs, and glistening blood. 

\----

Roman bolted upright as he heard the unmistakable sound of what could only be described as angry screams. His fear filled eyes darted around frantically in search of the source of the disturbance. “ _ MONSTER _ !” Roman's head whipped over to see the light flickering against his curtains. Roman whipped his covers off as he flew over to the window. Ripping his curtains aside he saw a mob outside the gates armed with torches and pitchforks. Roman wouldn't be surprised if there were a few hiding guns down there. 

He opened his window and leaned out to get a better look as harsh angry words fell upon his ears. Fear filled Roman as he watched the mob bang their pitchforks against the wrought iron gates while shouting vile things at the castle or, Roman assumed, his host. Words like, “monster”, “devil”, and “beast” rang through the air as the people screamed. What they were angry for, Roman didn't know. All he knew, all he could feel, was fear. Fear for the people, fear for himself, fear for Virgil. 

Then, the sound of the great doors opening pierced the air. The crowd went silent as what Roman could only assume was his host showing his face to the people. Roman quickly darted from his room, hurrying down the stairs to protect his host. 

As Roman flew down to the front hall, outside, out of nowhere, a crack of lightning lit up the sky so bright it was almost day. A roll of thunder quickly followed and then the skies opened up, pouring rain immediately drenching the crowd of people and snuffing out their torches. They all froze for a few moments before dropping everything and screaming as they fled. 

Roman skidded into the front hall just as Virgil was coming in,  carrying a bundle of what must have been the abandoned torches and pitchforks, drenched and letting out small chuckle. Roman froze, open mouthed as he watched the other dump the bundle in a pile next to the door before closing it again. Virgil turned to him and shrugged. “Finders, keepers I suppose.” 

Roman blinked. Unfreezing himself, he turned to Virgil who had started to walk away. “Are you alright?” He asked. 

Virgil froze.  _ Was he alright?  _ No one had ever asked him that before. It made him painfully aware of the metal in his wounds hiding underneath his clothes that he had yet to pull out. Of course he wasn't alright. “Yeah, I'm fine. Are you?” He asked. 

Roman narrowed his eyes slightly as he tried to determine if Virgil was lying or not. After a few moments, he sighed. “Yeah, just a little shaken, is all. I was nervous they would somehow get in.” 

Virgil nodded, looking thoughtful for a moment. “If you want,” he started, slowly. “You could explore the castle, and find the exits in case you feel the need to flee for whatever reason.” 

Roman frowned slightly. Not at the suggestion. But at the suggestion coming from Virgil. Someone who the villagers seemed to believe was a monster or demon of sorts. Could he really be as wicked as they said if he was willing to give Roman so much freedom? He swallowed thickly. “Sure. That sounds….nice.” 

Virgil gave him a rare, soft, smile. “Alright. Just be careful, you might get a little lost with some turns and stuff.” 

Roman nodded absently. Roman blinked once and Virgil was gone. Roman felt a draft and shivered. Glancing around the entrance hall wearily, he rubbed his arms and turned back to the stairs and began his ascent to his room to, hopefully, get some sleep. 

\----

The next day found Roman roaming through the halls of the great castle. He found, to his surprise, the castle was fairly well lit. Each room had at least two windows. Some had small windows,and some had big windows that let in large amounts of sparkling sunlight. Each room was decorated with a range of furniture. Couches, tables, chairs, bookcases, lamps, Roman even found different styled living rooms set up, complete with movies and a flat screen tv. 

Each living room was styled around a theme and the movies within shared that theme. The first he found was filled with gothic style couches and tables. Deep reds paired with black and silver along with shades of violet. The curtains were made of velvet, and the background was black with swirls of crimson red and royal purple accenting the dark fabric. Small stone gargoyles sat on a self in each corner overlooking the room. Roman half expected Count Dracula to appear in a cloud of fog. That made Roman chuckle. After all, the castle was named Castle Dracula after the famously penned book  _ Dracula _ was published. Considering the castle in the books was based off this one, Roman found himself wondering, not for the first time, if Virgil was related to Bram Stoker, the writer of  _ Dracula _ . Of course, to accompany the gothic styled room was a shelf full of horror movies and thrillers. From classic monster movies to recent ghost stories. 

The next room was full of reds and pinks. Heart shaped pillows covered the couch, and in the corner, a beanbag chair piled high with stuffed animals and pillows, all the sorts you'd find on Valentine's day. In another corner was a small mini fridge with chocolates and wine. The curtains for this room where a velvet red. A slightly lighter red was sewn into hearts and swirls all over the fabric as they sparkled slightly. The movies for this room where all romantic comedies with some serious romance mixed in as well. Roman suspected it wasn't a room much used. At least not by Virgil. But if not Virgil, who? Moving on to the next room with a shrug, he decided to ask Virgil at dinner. 

The next room was all dark colors with silver and firey oranges and reds. There were action posters covering the stone walls and everything was sleek and professional. Flat black curtains for the windows reminded Roman of the curtains in his boss, Logan's, office: dull. He spares a glance at the shelf of movies and found action movies. No surprise there. 

The next room was, marvelous! The stone walls were covered with mostly Marvel memorabilia and posters. Pop figures lined shelves and small action figures stood on a bar in the back of the room. Unlike the other rooms, who's rugs were plain black or white, this room had an Avenger's rug. The curtains for this room where Spider-Man one's and hardly kept the light out but Roman supposed they didn't really have to if one where to watch the tv in here at night. Taking a glance at the wall with the tv, Roman noticed a shelf on either side of the tv. The left shelf held a bunch of DC comic movies, if not all of them, including multiple Batman's a few others. On the right, what must have been all of movies in the entire Marvel franchise. It was quite an extensive collection. 

The second to last room, was Roman's absolute favorite. It was straight out of a fairytale.. There was a king sized bed against the far wall, the covers were silk and fit for royalty Glitter gauze curtains hung over the four poster bed, and were able to be closed if someone chose to sleep there. Beautiful paintings of multiple Disney movies were placed around the room, hanging gently from the walls. The couch in the middle of the room was surely something that had once belonged to a family of importance, it's deep purple cushions making it look like one of the most comfortable places in the world. The end tables besides the bed, couch and the coffee table were all glass with trims of gold. Expertly crafted to show etchings of nearly every Disney character to ever exist, with room for more. The soft plush rug was a gorgeous white with a fluffiness the clouds would envy. On one wall, a silver ornate mirror stood at a height of a few feet off the ground and Roman found his reflection centered when he gazed into it. It made him giddy with glee. He even did the “Mirror Mirror, on the wall” thing. The tv in this room was set inside a golden frame hanging on the wall as if it were a mirror as well. Underneath the tv was a small cabinet of dark stained oak with intricate carvings covering the surface. Crystal glass doors opened up to reveal what had to have been every Disney movie ever made. This room also had the most windows. They were floor to ceiling with an arch top; white wood ran between the panes of glass as the flowers outside beamed brightly. Of course, the curtains only added to the royal like theme of the room. They were a royal red with gold trim and they were swept up and held back, behind them, a transparent gauze curtain hung down, only slightly dimming the sunlight shining in through the big windows. 

Roman was in absolute awe over the room. It was perfect and everything he could ever hope for in a room inspired by Disney and fairy tales. Roman wondered if Virgil would let him use this room. Maybe even let him sleep here sometimes. He felt excited at the thought of sleeping in such an extravagant room. (Although, he was already staying in a pretty extravagant room, but the idea of sleeping in one with all this space to dance was certainly electrifying.) Letting his fingers trail over the duvet one last time, Roman reluctantly left the room to explore some more. 

The last room looked like something straight out of the Addams Family. An old Victorian style couch with rich black upholstery that somehow was softer than any couch he'd sat in before, stood in the middle of the room. A faux bear rug lay beneath it with a coffin table that was an actual coffin. Dark, deep violet curtains hung straight down in front of the windows casting an ominous glow upon the room. Shoved into the one corner, laid a queen size bed shaped like another coffin with deep, rich purple covers decorated in black and silver spiderwebs. In another corner, a full gleaming suit of armor stood tall and proud. Almost as if it would come to life at any moment. The tv was also set in a frame, this one made of silver. And beside it was a shelf with a cable box and what seemed to be every form of entertainment related to The Addams Family. Roman noticed a vase in the corner with the stems and thorns of a rose, a pair of scissors laid down beside it and and single rose without its stem. The small detail made him smile. He could tell this room must be Virgil's favorite and frequented a lot more than the other rooms if the cable box was anything to go by. 

Roman checked the time and realized it would soon be time for dinner. He went to leave the room but took one last glance inside. After seeing everything he saw today, he was seriously considering the idea that the villagers were just crazy. Roman smiled and left, walking down the long corridors towards the dining room. 

The villagers couldn't be right. There were no monsters or devils in the castle. Only a lonely man with a wild and creative imagination. Monsters aren't real一right? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think?


	5. Virgil Insults Twilight and It Was Just a Cat (Or Was It?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: talks of not eating, supernatural stuff, a scene from a scary movie explained in detail, demon mention I think that’s it, let me know if I missed any.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there are small hints in this chapter, however, there's a really big one at the end and its related to the movie scene and the noise.

Roman frowned as he ate while sneaking glances at Virgil, who, yet again, wasn't eating. He had wanted to immediately bring up his question about the Disney living room but his suspicions rose up again as he noticed his host had gone yet again without eating. Roman supposed it wasn't fair to say that Virgil didn't just eat in the time they spent together but it was weird to never have seen him eat with him. Maybe he just didn't feel comfortable eating in front of him? Roman nodded his head. Yeah, that had to be it. It  _ had _ to be. 

He cleared his throat. “I, uh, noticed that you had some themed rooms.”

Virgil's grey eyes lit up like glittering silver. “Ah, yes. I thought it would be fun to decorate the rooms according to a theme.” 

Roman felt himself smiling at the others clear excitement despite himself. “Yes. I found them very well done and I really liked the themes.” Roman shifted slightly and looked down, only mildly embarrassed. “My, uh, favorite one was the Disney one. And, uh,” he bit his lip as he glanced up at Virgil. “I was wondering if, it'dbeokayifIsleptorjusthungoutinthatroomsometimes?” Roman trailed off into a mumble that was so quiet that Virgil surely couldn't have heard. He took a deep breath and prepared to repeat his question. 

“Of course.” 

Roman froze.  _ What? _

“While you're here, this castle is as much your home as it is mine. Feel free to do whatever you like.” 

Roman blinked. “How did you even hear what I said? I wasn't exactly that audible.” 

Virgil’s eyes moved away with a shrug. “I have good hearing.” Was his explanation. 

Roman frowned and remembered a question from much earlier. “Uh, the villagers.” Virgil's eyes shot back over to look at him. Roman gulped slightly. “They warned me about the castle. And they said there were monsters and devils in here. Do you know anything about that?”

While he was talking, Roman had looked anywhere but Virgil. After he finished, he took a deep breath and looked up, staring Virgil straight (gay) in the eyes. Virgil was quiet for a few minutes. His eyes searched Roman's for,  _ something,  _ Roman wasn't quite sure. “This castle has been in my family for centuries Mr. Prinz.” 

Roman frowned slightly, unsure how this had anything to do with the villagers. “I am sure you are aware of the most famous of the Stoker family, Abraham Stoker?” 

Roman blinked. 

Virgil rolled his eyes and sighed. “Perhaps you know him better by his nickname, Bram.” 

Roman gasp. “Oh! You mean Bram Stoker! The writer of  _ Dracula _ ! I was wondering if there was any relation.” 

Virgil nodded. “Yeah, that's sort of the reason the castle was nicknamed Castle Dracula.” 

Roman's nose crinkled as if he had smelled something funny. “I didn't think Bram was a nickname. I assumed that was his legal name.” 

Virgil grimaced, he wasn't creative with names. “Yeah,” he agreed. “You don't normally hear if Bram as a nickname for Abraham. Maybe Abe, but not Bram.” Roman nodded. “I suppose it started a few decades before Bram was born,” Virgil started. “I'm not entirely sure what started the rumors.” He frowned. “I think it might have been when bodies drained of blood began showing up in the village.” 

Roman raised an eyebrow. Virgil, suddenly remembering the average lifespan of the human body, shook his head. “At least that might be when if I'm remembering the journals correctly. Anyway,” he said, quickly moving away from that bit. “Some accounts said that a witness noticed one of the Stoker family, or at least someone with similar facial features, slipping away from the scene of the,” Virgil grit his teeth slightly. “ _ crime,  _ with what they said to be blood on my- my ancestor's face. Ever since then, there was talk of what the locals called a  _ Strigoi _ . In Romanian mythology, a strigoi is a troubled spirit that is said to have risen from the grave. It is often said to have abilities to transform into an animal and even become invisible. However, the locals were only able to say that my ancestor was one of the Strigoi through the fact that they are said to have drunk blood to gain vitality, or life through blood.” Virgil sighed. 

“Bram grew up with the locals fear of himself, the family, and the castle. I believe that he wrote the novel  _ Dracula  _ to, cope? Or even in an attempt to understand where the fear was coming from.” Virgil shrugged. “But mostly I just think it was for fun.”  _ It was for fun.  _

Roman looked thoughtful for a few moments. He looked up at the other. “What do you think?” 

Virgil glanced at Roman. “What?” 

“What do you think of the rumors of your someone in your family being,” he waved his hand, “practically a vampire?”

_ Vampire.  _ The word sent a chill colder than Virgil's skin down his back. “Well,” he started slowly. “First off, I think vampires have a bad rep. And Stephenie Meyer didn't help.” Virgil's nose wrinkled. 

Roman sputtered indigitantly. “ExCuSe Me! Edward Sullen! What did Twilight ever do to you?!?!?!?” 

Virgil rolled his eyes at the others dramatic behavior. “Literally anyone could do better than Twilight. Like, I mean, I think Vampires are misunderstood, but like, what Twilight did was turn them into elves prancing around like clueless morons. Vampires are supposed to be feared! Not made fun of or sexualized for the majority of love sick teenage girls who go on a murder spree because forbid someone was on Team Jacob and not Team Edward.” 

Roman rolled his eyes. “I'm not saying that I couldn't do better, Re-Volturi.”

“Then what are you saying?” 

Roman finally looked at Virgil. The other was guarded. His shoulders tense and his jaw slightly clenched as if whatever Roman was going to say would hurt him. He had to be careful. “I'm saying that while  _ Twilight's _ depiction of vampires is ridiculous, it's still something someone made and is possibly proud of. It's hard being a writer. Surely you know the struggles?” 

Virgil blinked and looked down. Boy did he know the struggles. Getting started was a nightmare. And finding a good enough alias proved difficult, if Roman's reaction was anything to go by. Virgil cringed. Why did he even use a nickname? "Yeah, I suppose I can feel….some sort of sympathy for Meyer."  _ Even if she did stain the name of all vampires with an elf like love sick boy.  _

\------

Roman sat back with a loud, dramatic sigh. A small hint of an amused smile pulled at Virgil's lips and he tidied things up a bit before he too fell into his chair with a relieved sigh. Virgil stretched out his legs and leaned he head against the back of his chair, his eyes slipping closed as he let himself relax slightly. Roman found the look suited him. It was nice to see the other relax in his presence. He let himself enjoy the picture for a few moments before he cleared his throat. 

Virgil cracked one eye open and raised a dark eyebrow at the other. Roman's eyes darted off to the side as he gathered his courage and swallowed the lump in his throat. "I-I was wondering if we could watch a movie together," Roman watched Virgil's face as he spoke. Finding no clear sign of disgust, he continued. "I just thought it would be fun." 

Roman watched as Virgil's face reminded blank. The silence grew for an uncomfortably long amount of time until Roman felt like he was going to burst with an apology for being so stupid. "That does sound fun," Virgil started slowly, almost hesitantly, his eyes not looking at him. "I certainly wouldn't be opposed to it, Princey." Virgil couldn't help but notice the lights in Roman's eyes brighten at his words. 

A broad smile spread across Roman's handsome face as he leapt from his chair and grabbed a hold of Virgil's wrist. "We're off on an adventure!" He declared as he dragged Virgil from the room to the hall with the doors that lend to the different themed living rooms. Virgil suppressed a giggle  _ (A giggle!)  _ at the other as he was dragged along on their "adventure". 

Once in the hallway, Roman stopped and let go of Virgil's wrist. Virgil still felt the warmth from the others hand lingering on his skin. It made him startlingly aware of how cold the rest of his body was. Looking up at Roman, he noticed a small frown on the other's face. "Princey?" Roman broke out of his thoughts and looked over at Virgil. "You good there?" 

Roman nodded. "Yeah, I was just wondering what movie we should watch." 

"Oh." Virgil was silent for a few moments before speaking up. "I was thinking of watching the Conjuring Universe movies in the order they were released. If you would like to join me, we could start them tonight?" 

Roman blinked a few times before he grinned. "Of course! Let's go!" Roman took a hold of Virgil's wrist again and pulled him into the correct room and plopped down on the couch as Virgil turned to set up the movie. He rolled his eyes fondly at the other, careful to keep Roman from actually seeing him with something other than a small smile, blank face, or the occasional scowl. Setting up the first movie, Virgil moved back to sit on the opposite end from Roman on the couch as he waited for the main menu to pop up so he could start the movie. 

"So, Princey, have you ever watched something like this?" 

Roman turned to him as the previews played through. "Um, not really." He shrugged. "I mean, I've watched movies similar to them but they didn't really intrigue me," Roman's eyes trailed back to the tv screen as he talked before snapping back over to look at Virgil. "What?" 

Virg stared at him with wide eyes, his mouth slightly ajar as he tried to comprehend just what exactly had been told to him. It's not that he didn't understand what Roman had told him. No, he understood him perfectly. But the fact that he wasn't intrigued in these kinds of movies sorta irritated him for some reason. "Well, Princey, get ready to have your socks blown off because the Conjuring universe is one of the best set of movies like this."

"Sounds a little opinionated but okay." 

Virgil sent a glare at Roman. Roman, despite having Virgil's icy glare directed at him, couldn't help but feel a excited shiver run through his spine. It was like he had found a match. A lot of people tended to agree with Roman, aside from his friend Logan. But even then, it was always playful arguments. They were like brothers. Hell, they  _ were  _ brothers. If not through blood but through bond. 

_ This _ , this felt different. This  _ thing  _ between them was something entirely new and wonderfully mysterious. It was like something out of one of Roman's novels. It was terribly exciting and Roman felt himself anticipating every interaction with the dark man before him. He wondered why he wasn't like this before. Perhaps he was finally getting comfortable enough to show his true self. The one that, despite dark glares and deep frowns, Roman could tell were more playful than not. They were like a hurricane and a volcano. Both terribly, beautifully fierce and passionate. 

The glare dimmed once the main menu popped up. Virgil turned to the tv. "Watch the movie, Princey." He pretended to not see the roguish grin Roman sent his way before the other turned to watch the screen. 

\-----

The two had moved slightly closer over the course of the movies. They had watched two by this point and were almost finished with the third: The Conjuring 2. And Roman couldn't say he wasn't enjoying the movies. They were very well done and, despite the moments after each movie when Virgil told him a few of the details that were fiction, Roman found they were quite scary. He jumped a few times, he wasn't going to lie. Now, they were nearing the end of the second Conjuring movie. Roman became absorbed in the story as what must have been the most climatic moment came on screen. 

Lorraine Warren was pulling herself up through the hole in the floor as her husband, Ed, reached the room the possessed Janet was in. The window in front of Janet exploded as glass flew past her. Ed watched as Janet stepped up onto the window ledge, ready to jump from the window and impale herself on the split tree trunk that had been sharpened to a point. His eyes grew wide as he screamed her name, rushing forward to stop her. He caught her just as she fell from the window. He grabbed a hold on the curtain beside the window prevent both of them from tumbling out the window and to their death. 

In the looting rain on the sidewalk below, the girl's mother let out a horrified shriek at the sight of her daughter dangling in the air, the only thing keeping her from being impaled was Ed's hold on her. Lorraine rushed up the stairs shouting Ed's name as he tried to pull himself and the girl inside by his arm. He let out a shout as one of the rings holding the curtain up broke, the two dropping farther out the window. Lorraine came to doorway and screamed as she noticed the two hanging over halfway out the window. The crosses hung up all over the walls of the room all began to turn upside down as Lorraine noticed a black mass in the corner beside the window. She let out a gasp as she noticed the demon that had been plaguing her since their case in Amityville. A demon nun, with face white as milk and covered in blue veins and glowing yellow eyes set deep in the skull, pitch black circles surrounding the eyes as it's habit blew about in the vicious wind. 

Ed screamed Lorraine's name as lightning flashed outside and the curtain began to rip and another ring broke. Lorraine started forward only for the demon nun to let out a wicked roar and Lorraine flew back against the wall a few feet off the ground. Black lips surrounded yellow, rotting teeth as the demonic nun bared its teeth at her. Another ring broke and Lorraine screamed for her husband. The demon nun's grin was vile as it turned to look at Lorraine. 

Lorraine turned her attention to the demon nun, her face set determinedly. "Your name gives me dominion over you demon. And I do know your name." The demon screamed, knocking crosses off the wall. "You are Valak!" Lorraine screamed as the demon continued to scream, flakes falling from its face at the use if it's name. "The defiler! The profane! The marquis of snakes!" She sneered. The demon let out a hell raising scream. "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I condemn you back to Hell!" 

The demon screeched as it's face decayed and it fell in on itself before disappearing. Lorraine fell as the demon disappeared and she quickly rushed forward as another ring broke and the last ring slid forward. She grabbed a hold of her husbands wrist just as they were falling and quickly pulled her husband and the now normal girl inside. 

Virgil turned to face Roman, a shit eating grin on his face, ready to tell Roman that he told him so but froze as he noticed Roman's awestruck face. He couldn't turn away. He was in awe over Roman's awe! And he felt **the** **blood** in his body rush to his face, his cheeks tinting with a bright pink. Even if he could look away, Virgil found he didn't want to. 

A thunderous crash sounded down the dark hallway and both Virgil and Roman jolted. Their heads whipped over to look at the darkened doorway, hearts pounding in fear. A loud thump sounded and Roman jumped forward and gripped onto Virgil's chilled arm. "What was that?" He whispered, his voice wavering. Despite the moment, Virgil's cheeks darkened.

"P-probably just one of the cats," he stuttered slightly. Roman gulped. They waited as the credits rolled. Their ears alert as they tried to find any hint of someone in the hallway. Soon a small bright white cat trotted into the room and stared up at the two on the couch. "Meow!!!" The feline let out. 

Roman closed his eyes in relief and let out a sigh. "Thank goodness."

Virgil nodded. "Do you want to go back to watching tv?" He asked. 

Roman hesitated for a few moments before nodding. "Uh, yeah. But is it okay if we uh…." Roman stumbled with his words. "Uh.." 

"I think we might have to sleep in here tonight. I don't think I'll have enough energy to get back to my room after this."

Roman almost let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah, I don't think I'll be able to either." 

Virgil nodded and got up to change the movie. The white cat from earlier jumped up on the couch and climbed into Roman's lap. He smiled as he began petting the cat. Virgil turned around and let out a small laugh. "It seems Moonlight as taken a liking to you." 

Roman looked up with a smile. "That's their name?" 

Virgil nodded. "Yeah. She likes to nap in the moonlight; seemed only fitting." He sat down gave her a pet before turning to the movie and grabbing the remote. Roman smiled at the other, but frowned slightly as he noticed something flit past the doorway out of the corner his eye. He turned and inspected the doorway only to find it empty. He shrugged and turned back to the screen as Virgil hit the main menu button. Soon they were enthralled in the storyline of Annabelle Creation. And if they ended up leaning against each other halfway through the movie, nobody said anything. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think?


	6. Roman Has A Nightmare. Or Did It Really Happen?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: supernatural themes, ghosts, nightmare mention, implied deciet

It became a part of their nightly routine. Roman woke up, spent most of the day exploring the castle, pampering himself, doing whatever he wanted, then, in the afternoon, Roman would go to the library and meet Virgil for their daily lesson and talk more about the property Virgil was thinking of buying before they would go down and have dinner. After dinner, the two would discuss what to watch and they made their way to the living rooms. One of the cats would usually follow along so they could curl up in Virgil's lap as they watched the movie. Occasionally, Roman got to hold one of the cats but they seemed rather partial to Virgil. He liked it though. He liked spending time with Virgil. 

However, watching movies together wasn't the only thing that became routine. Unfortunately, every night, as Roman walked back to his bedroom, he felt this  _ thing _ follow him. He couldn't describe it as anything other than just a  _ thing. _ Walking through the dimly lit corridors with his footsteps echoing around him was okay. Just a little creepy, but he could handle that. But then he would feel eyes on him. It was eerie. But he could handle that too. He always played it off as not being used to it yet. But then it got worse; he'd start hearing phantom footsteps, feel an icy draft blow through the hall, feel something brush against his arm. These things you could explain away though. And that's what he always did. Phantom footsteps? It was just his own footsteps echoing back to him. Icy draft? It was a big stone castle, there were bound to be drafts. Something brushing against his arm? It was simply a cobweb. Although, the thought of a cobweb, something spiders made, was not exactly a comforting thought either. Yet he always found he could explain it away. He would be fine so long as he could explain it away. 

He could handle the thought of a ghost in the castle during the day. But at night, when he walked back to his room for bed, he found himself creeping along, the hair on end and eyes darting towards every creak and shuffle he heard. During the day, he forced himself to forget the night before and focused on enjoying himself in the hopes of his fear not getting to him. 

\-----

Roman had a pleasant day. He had given himself a spa day and was able to have a relaxing time as he listened to his favorite Disney and Musical tunes. Then, Virgil had stopped by so they could walk to the library together for the lessons. After that, the two walked down to the dining room. He got a pleasing surprise when Virgil asked if he would like to make dinner with him. He graciously accepted. 

The two goofed off in the kitchen as they made homemade pizza and Roman had so much fun, he barely noticed that Virgil had yet again elected to not eat. They went to the Disney living room and watched as many Disney movies as they could before midnight rolled around. Everything was perfect. Roman should have known it was too good to last. 

\------

Roman and Virgil parted ways after watching tv. With all the good things that happened that day, Roman was too blissfully tired to fear whatever it was that made the footsteps that followed him each night. Roman's left side still felt hot from when Virgil leaned against him earlier. His face had at least cooled down by now. But he still felt the lingering pressure of the other against him. He was so caught up in the very recent memories of the last few hours that he almost didn't hear the words at first. 

"Virgil?" Roman asked as the whispers of a voice slithered past his ears. He turned around and squinted his eyes as the dim lights of the hallway left the edges of the corridor in shadows. A cold chill ran down Roman's spine as he waited for Virgil to step through the shadows and admit he was trying to scare him. Virgil never came. 

Fear seeped into his mind as he straightened his body and turned around. He kept his footfalls even as he walked briskly to his room. 

He was trying to keep the fear from getting to him. Roman may have been an overdramatic and extra prince, but when it came to fear, that was one thing he always kept locked away. He wasn't scared. Princes didn't get scared. So he couldn't be scared. It didn't matter that no one was around to watch him get scared. He couldn't show fear. He had gotten into the habit a long time ago and he wasn't about to change now. 

But old habits die hard. 

Roman froze as a voice pierced through the air. It was smooth and slimy. Nothing at all like Virgil's. "He is not as he seems, human." The voice hissed. Roman felt as if he had been dunked into a tub of ice water such as the wicked and bitter tone of the voice. 

"What?" Roman hated talking to this  _ thing.  _ Whatever it was. He hated that his voice wobbled. He hated that he couldn't seem to move.

"Just ask about Valak, and then you'll see." 

Roman frowned. "Valak? As in the demon nun in the Conjuring movies?" He received no answer as the chill that came with whatever was speaking to him left as quickly as it had come. Warmth slowly seeped back into Roman's body but he still refused to move. "He's not as he seems?" Roman puzzled. "Who, Virgil? What about Valak?" He felt his heart twist painfully with the thought of Virgil keeping something from him. He thought they were getting along. He thought they were friends. 

\-----

The next morning, Roman scribbled story ideas down furiously as he ranted. He was upset and confused. His emotions falling all over the place. "Was that voice even real?" He asked himself as he paused in his writing. "I mean I was pretty tired last night." Roman sat in thought for a moment or two before he set his pencil down and pushed himself out of his throne like a desk chair. He wandered over to the window and pushed open the glass to let in a light chilly autumn breeze that freshened his mind. He hummed thoughtfully. "If it really was a dream…" he bit his lip nervously. "Then it shouldn't matter if I ask Virgil about it, right?" His thoughts in turmoil, he turned to the view and tried to lose himself in the colors and shapes of the world outside his window, but found that not even a magnificent picture such as the grounds surrounding the castle could soothe his troubled mind. He frowned and leaned against the window ledge. "It really was just a dream. So...nothing should go wrong right?"

Roman's frown deepened as another thought hit him. "Why does it bother me so much that Virgil could be keeping something from me?" He pushed himself up and walked to his bed as he continued his questions. "Virgil's just a client." He bit his lip as he spun around and fell back onto his bed.  _ I don't think you call "just clients" by their first name ...do you?  _ Roman closed his eyes with a huff. "Mr. Stoker has every right to keep his personal matters to himself. He has no obligation to me. My relationship with Mr. Stoker is purely professional." His face twisted in discomfort. "Mr. Stoker." He let the syllables tumble out past his lips. The words falling flat to his ears causing an unpleasant feeling to grow. He sat up with a huff and frowned. Maybe he would do some drawing, surely that would take his mind off the strange dream he had. 

If only it were a dream.

\----

Roman was unusually quiet during dinner that night. He aimlessly pushed pasta around his plate. Virgil frowned as he noticed Roman's behavior. Normally, the other man would be glaring or sneaking quick glances at Virgil as he ate. But tonight, it just seemed like all the energy had been drained from his guest. Virgil observed the other for a few more moments before he sat up a little and cleared his throat. Roman barely flinched. "Roman, is something bothering you?" Virgil asked gently. 

Roman glanced up at Virgil, a weird look on his face. It was almost like he wasn't expecting the other to be there, like he was someplace else. His mind wandering miles away from his body as it went through whatever it was going through. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" 

"I asked if something was bothering you. You seem down." 

Roman stayed silent for a few moments, staring at Virgil unblinkingly before he opened his mouth. "Oh." 

Virgil waited patiently as Roman looked down and pushed his food around some more. "I just-" he paused. His thoughts screaming at him to stop. To shut up. To hide his less prince-like emotions. But it was too late. His mouth was already opening, the words already falling from his lips. "Who's Valak?" He didn't miss the slight flinch. Something he would have missed if he hadn't been observing Virgil. 

"Valak? You mean the demon from the Conjuring?" 

The answer was one he had expected. But for some reason, it disappointed Roman. It felt like a lie; like something was being kept from him. He frowned. That was ridiculous. Valak wasn't a real name. There was hardly a chance that someone alive would be named Valak. He should just let it go, but something seemed to compel him to ask again. "I mean like, do you know someone named Valak in real life?" 

Underneath the table, Virgil's leg twitched and he felt an itch over his heart. Fighting the urge to scratch it, he responded. "No." An ice cold draft blew through the room. 

Roman shuddered as his heart began to pound rapidly in his chest. Virgil took note of the other's increased heart rate, the sound, a concern to his ears. Virgil glanced around quickly, catching the tail end of a black cloak slipping through the door and into the darkened hall. He clenched his hands beneath the table before taking a deep breath. "Roman?" He asked gently.

Roman's gaze shot over to him. "I-what?" The wide, panicked look in his eyes brought a fresh wave of concern to Virgil. He leaned forward and placed his hand near Roman. Roman glanced down at the pale hand before turning his gaze back to its owner. 

"Something's bothering you, I can tell. Now, you don't have to tell me what it is. I just ask that you tell me if you're not feeling up to anything. Okay?" 

Roman found his fear subsiding. His rapidly beating heart began pounding for a different reason. Not that he knew why. "If you don't feel up to our lessons, dinner, or watching movies, you don't have to do them, okay? Just tell me and I'll let you be for however long you need." Roman found himself getting lost in Virgil's eyes as the other spoke.

Something in his chest felt…..different...as he noticed a swirl of concern, concern for him, in those striking eyes. The thought of this man, the thought of Virgil, being concerned for him, and his wellbeing made something akin to giddy blossom in his chest. He felt his cheeks warm slightly. He found himself wanted to tell Virgil exactly what was bothering him. He almost wanted to tell Virgil about what the cashier said, and his thoughts of what he'd do if it were true. 

"I-" 

Virgil waited for him to continue. Roman caught a glimpse of his hand twitching on the table, almost as if he wanted to squeeze his hand. Almost as if he wanted to offer some form of physical comfort. The warmth in his cheeks got hotter. "I…..la-last night, I had this…strange dream. It was more like a nightmare…" Roman looked down, the intrusive memories flooding his mind. "I was walking back from a movie night with you, and-" here, he paused. He bit his lip as he placed his hand on the table to tap Virgil's. He felt like crying with joy when Virgil took his hand and gave a comforting squeeze. "There was this cold draft, and then there was this ...voice _.  _ It was so cold! And bitter, and slippery. And it told me that 'he's not as he seems' and then to 'ask about Valak'. I-I don't know. I thought I was awake, but I don't-I don't-" Virgil reached an arm over to rub Roman's back as the other felt his armor breaking and cracking. 

"Hey, breathe. In for four seconds, hold for seven seconds, out for eight seconds, alright, repeat that. It is okay. You're not alone. I'm here for you." 

Roman surged across the table and hid in Virgil's chest, tears streaming down his face. Virgil held the other in his arms, ignoring  **the** blood rushing to his cheeks. "Do you want to go watch some Disney?" He whispered softly. 

Roman nodded. "Please, just- I don't want to be alone." 

Virgil smiled softly. "You won't be. We can go watch Disney, you can fall asleep watching Disney, I won't leave, okay? We'll have a sleepover in the living room, how's that sound?" 

Roman nodded. "I'd like that." 

\-----

As Roman laid in Virgil's lap on the couch sleeping, Virgil found himself spacing out, no longer paying attention to the pictures on the screen. His thoughts pulling him into his own small world. Valak. The name sparked many emotions all at once. Anger, fear, sorrow, pain, remorse. Suddenly, he was blinded with grief and regret. Memories flooded his mind's eye. He clamped a hand over his mouth, tears spilling over into his cheeks. He wanted to disappear. He wanted to melt into the couch and hide. But he couldn't. He had promised Roman. And he couldn't break that promise. He couldn't be bad. He couldn't be a bad guy. He-he wasn't. He-

Roman shifted in his lap and let out a soft yawn. The action caused the dark thoughts twisting in Virgil's mind to expel out and Virgil felt as if his heart was turning to mush. He knew it was foolish to get so...attached...to this man. Because he wasn't in love. He wasn't. Virgil couldn't help but brush a stray piece of hair out of Roman's face. The touch sending tingles up his arm. Oh, he was so screwed. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think?


	7. The Room and Someone's Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: oh boy do I have a treat for you. Dark memories, angst, tears, past death, blood, fangs, nightmare, violence. Let me know if I missed any.

It had been a few weeks since Virgil had comforted Roman. Since then, they had more sleepovers in the living rooms. Tonight, was a rare exception. Both men were worn out; Virgil with dark memories haunting his thoughts, and Roman with a recent creative burst that had his hand writing pages an hour. He had only just stopped and collapsed into his bed to rest his mind and body. All was calm. 

\----

It was 3 am. Roman had fallen asleep a few hours ago. Now, he lay sprawled across his bed, snoring happily as his dreams were filled with mysterious princes with stunning grey eyes and sparkling pale skin. Virgil's bed was empty. Instead, he moved through dark halls and down a dark set of cold, stone, stairs, and there stood a giant oak door. A wood bar sat across it, barring the door. 

Virgil stood staring at The Room. It had been a long time since he had last step foot in The Room. And yet, he could still remember its appearance with crystal clear clarity. Nightmarish memories flashed through his mind in rapid fire. Virgil squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop the scenes, but his closed eyes only made the images easier to picture. Virgil forced his eyes open. The images slowly subsided. For the moment. 

Virgil stepped forward and tentatively placed his hand flat out on the dark door. Painful moments happened behind this door. Virgil liked to think he was far from the monster he was in The Room. He let out a bitter chuckle.  _ If only that were true _ . It  **was** indeed true, but Virgil's thoughts wouldn't dare let him think such a positive thing. The town’s fear of him and the castle helped even less. A fact that was brought up every time he tried to see himself in a positive light. 

Virgil let out a sigh, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the door. The dark hallway was silent and cold as he gathered himself. He opened his mouth only to close it. Words rushing to be said not tying together right. He took a deep breath before trying again. "I-" he huffed.  _ It really shouldn't be this hard to do this!  _ He frowned, mad at himself before starting again. "I-I'm sorry. I know that's the most pathetic and ridiculous apology considering what I did but I just- I'm so sorry." Tears poured from Virgil's eyes as he began to break down. "I'm so sorry!" Virgil slid down to his knees. He leaned against the door as tears streamed down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have- I'm so sorry, Valak. I know you're here. I know you're listening to me, and I just want to tell you that anything I can do for you, I will. I promise. It's the absolute least I could do to make amends."

Virgil waited. No response sounded from inside The Room. Virgil closed his eyes and sighed. He pulled himself off the floor and walked back to bed. There was nothing else to say. 

\------

Roman had been discreetly digging into the history of castle Dracul for a few weeks now. The information he found was interesting. The castle was built back in the medieval era and was built by a Vlad Stoker. But two decades later, it was taken by...someone. He couldn't find much information on who but a certain name kept popping up. Valak. The evidence sent shivers down Roman's spine. And he had to remind himself that there wasn't enough proof that a Valak had ever owned the castle. 

The castle was then taken back by another Stoker. But Roman had yet to find any first names or anything yet. It stayed in the Stoker family from then until now. He found quite a few legends surrounding the place as well. Roman found stories pertaining to vampires and werewolves and ghosts that haunted the castle. He even learned of the famous Bram Stoker, the creator of  _ Dracula  _ living here at one point. It gave him excited shivers to learn that a famous writer had once walked these halls. Maybe he could finally write something he was proud of now that he was in a place a writer wrote a famous book. 

\-----

That night, Roman laid in his bed peacefully. He had finally closed the deed on the house with Virgil. He was slightly sad, they didn't have anything to work together on anymore. But he was also happy because he got to go home and Virgil would be moving to the same city as him. So..maybe he could actually pursue a...closer relationship with the other. He fell asleep with dreams of dates and kisses shared between him and his ever growing crush. 

\------

Roman frowned.  _ Where am I?  _ He glanced around and noticed a man standing in the middle of a room glancing behind him, Roman noticed the double wooden doors behind him barred shut. The room was dark and cold. He turned back to the man and felt fear radiating off of him in suffocating waves. Tall, heavy waves crashing into Roman so hard he began to feel as if he was drowning. He forced himself to look back at the man who was wringing his hands as he paced nervously. 

Roman jumped and whipped around to face the door as a loud bang sounded outside the room.  He glanced back to see the man staring at the door with wide eyes, half his face covered in shadows. He glanced back at the door before turning around only to jump again as he found the man standing in front of him, scales traveled down the right half of his face and a yellow snake eye replaced his right eye while the left was a cold brown. 

"Wha?" Roman breathed heavily. 

"I'll show you." Suddenly, Roman was standing where the man once stood and a great thumping began sounding off rapidly outside the door. Monstrous footsteps thundered loudly through the door until it blew off its hinges, splintering instantly as it slammed into the wall behind Roman. He screamed and cowered before the person standing in the doorway. 

"VALAK!" The voice bellowed. Roman's eyes widened in fear and disbelief.  _ No, it-it can't be!! _ Roman blinked and suddenly the monster was in front of him. Tears flowed from Roman's eyes as he stared at the face before him. He knew those eyes. Those sparkling grey eyes that lit up every time they looked at him or anytime they got into a playful debate. Those beautiful grey eyes that Roman had come to fall in love with, had now gone dark and cold and evil. Blood dripped from sharp fangs down a pale moonlight chin. "It's time you reap what you sow, Valak," the voice roared. 

"Please...no..please," Roman begged as he trembled violently, tears streaming down his face. "Please, Virgil! Please! N-"

Before Roman could finish his "no" Virgil had ripped his throat out.

\--------

Roman bolted up out of bed drenched in sweat, his heart racing wickedly. Roman tumbled out of bed quickly. Somehow, knowing exactly where to go. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think?


	8. Roman Finds the Room, Virgil and Valak Forgive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this on Wednesday. Oops! Any way, Warnings: past death, past blood?v deceit, let me know if I missed any.

Virgil sat bolt upright. His eyes widened as he took in deep breaths, he glanced around his room, taking in the various dark objects standing out in the darkened space. He frowned as he climbed out of bed and opened his safe. He could tell there was something different in the air. He bit his lip as he grabbed a stack of cash and quickly moved through the castle and snuck into Roman's room. Not even worried about being caught since he already knew the owner wasn't there, Virgil placed the money in Roman's things. He was prepared for the worst, and now? It was time to face the music. 

\-----

Roman crept through dark cold halls, his footsteps as light as he could make them. He slipped down the icy stone stairs, the air around him getting colder the closer he got to his destination. He walked down a dark hallway with fear and trembling. He only stopped once he came to a giant oak door. He frowned as he noticed the wood plank barring the door shut. With a quick glance around, he surged forward and removed the bar and set it against the wall. He reached out to open the doors but stopped just short from touching the handle. He was scared. Scared that he was going to find out that what he dreamed wasn't just a dream. He was scared of what he would find inside the room. He was petrified. He didn't want the cashier to be right. He didn't want to do what he promised. He didn't want- Roman's train of thought broke off as he heard the unmistakable sound of creaking wood. 

Roman watched in frozen horror as the door creaked open before him. His heartbeat rapidly in his chest as he caught the first glimpse of the room behind it. He somehow knew exactly what it would look like before he even saw it. Flashes of a memory that was not one of his own. It flashed through his mind as if triggered by the small glimpses of the room before him. He slowly pressed forward despite his fear and entered the room. 

Roman felt an ice-cold chill shiver up his spine. In an instant, candles lit up in a row along the walls. The room was bathed in an eerie light and he soon discovered that he could see his breath as it blew out into the air around him. Roman wrapped his arms around himself as he inspected the room as much as he could in the dim lighting. There were cobwebs all over and a titanic amount of dust layered everywhere. It looked exactly like it had in his dream. It was terrifying. 

Then Roman glanced down. He suddenly noticed a dark spot on the floor. His heart leaped. He shakily got down on his knees to get a closer look. Brushing away some of the dust he took a quick intake of breath. On the stone floor, there was a big stain on the floor. Although pale and quite faded, the original color was easily distinguishable. Red. But not just any red. Not an apple red, not a neon red. It originally had to be a deep crimson red. A blood-red. 

Everything was beginning to weigh down on him. It was all crushing him. The dream. The room from his dream. The bloodstain on the stone. Thoughts rushed around Roman's head.  Virgil? Did Virgil, sweet, loving, caring, sarcastic, Virgil actually kill someone? How?!? How could he?!?!  Roman froze.  What was that?  A brief silence and then the sound came again. Roman's eyes shot over towards the doorway, the black of the night beyond the doors seemed to be alive as the shuffling sound came closer. Urgency shot through Roman's spine and began to backtrack. "No, no, no, no!" He whispered as he shook his head, frightened. Tears streamed down his face as his back hit the wall behind him. The cold from the rock seeped through his shirt as he began to shiver in fear. 

"Roman?" A soft voice called. Roman whimpered. Then, out of the inky shadows of the hallway came Virgil, his pale skin bright against the black behind him, his eyes dark and wide with concern. Roman nearly broke right then and there. This man, this man he had come to fall for over his time in the castle was a monster. A monster he had promised to kill. A monster he had let his guard down and fallen for. A monster that was probably going to kill him for that mistake. Roman let out a sob and slid down the wall as he stared horrified at the creature before him. 

Virgil frowned and crouched down a few feet away from the shaking man. "Ro? Are you okay?" 

Roman shook violently. "What are you?" 

Virgil blinked. The venom in Roman's voice shouldn't have surprised him, but it did. And it hurt. Virgil let out a high to mask his emotions, or at least attempt to. "You know. You wouldn't be asking the question unless you knew." 

"No," Roman said quietly, still trying to deny the facts laid out before him. 

Virgil stared at Roman, his face completely devoid of any emotion. "Yes, Roman. Go on. Say it."

Tears poured down Roman's face. "Why'd you do it!?!?! Why?!?!?" He screamed. Virgil stayed silent. Roman wiped the tears from his eyes and pushed himself to his feet. "You're a monster," he said and he carefully took a step towards the door. Virgil stayed sitting, his head following Roman's movement. "You're a life drainer." Another step back, two more steps and Roman would be in the hall. "You-you're a murderer!" He clenched his fists, his nails biting into his skin. "You're a disgusting vampire and I can't believe I let myself fall in love with you!" Roman slammed the doors shut and quickly blocked the door. He knew it wouldn't hold but he was hoping it would buy him some time. He raced through the castle and threw his things in his bags before racing out of the castle only to stop. 

In front of him, was the limo that had brought him here. The door to the back sitting opening, waiting for him. He bit his lip, unsure if he should take the car or not. Eventually, he decided it would be harder to run from a vampire on foot than in a car and quickly hopped in. The door slammed shut behind him and the car shot off through the gates on its way to the airport. Roman sighed and sat back against his seat and took a breather. Then he picked up his phone to work on finding the next flight back home. His heart hurt but he'd rather get as far away from that place as fast as he could. 

\-----

Virgil flinched as he heard the squeal of tires as the limo left. He still sat in the room, the doors still shut before him. Words flew around his brain getting tangled with his thoughts. Love, love, love, love, love. Roman just said he fell in love with him. Virgil could hardly comprehend it. His feelings were returned. The man he had fallen for, had fallen for him. It seemed impossible to him. Things like this? Good things didn't happen to him. He was so happy he could cry. Roman liked him. He liked him! However, his thoughts soon turned dark as Roman's words rang through his head like a loud bell that wouldn't shut up until it made your ears bleed and keep ringing until you had gone deaf.  Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster! Monster! Roman had called him a monster. He wasn't surprised. He couldn't be. He often called himself a monster. But it still hurt. It somehow hurt worse than when he called himself a monster. It felt as if someone had taken a hot poker and slowly pushed it into his chest, through his heart. It hurt so bad. 

Virgil broke out into sobs. He had finally found someone. Someone who saw him. Someone he felt comfortable around. He had found this person who he could actually see himself spending his life with. And he actually had a chance with him! Yet again, his stupid being got in the way. He hated this. He hated himself. He hated being this  thing.  He wanted to die. But that was yet another thing he couldn't do right. Another problem he was too much of a coward to fix. Tears streamed down his face as he curled into a ball. His heart hurt. "I just want to be normal," he whispered. 

Something colder than him landed on his shoulder and he jumped. He scampered back, his heart pounding in his chest. His eyes widened as he noticed Valak before him. "Virgil," Valak said carefully. He moved into the light to make sure his face was completely visible to Virgil. He crouched down. 

"I'm sorry!" Virgil choked out. Apologizing the millionth time for killing him. 

Valak shook his head. "Its okay." 

Virgil shook his head rapidly. "No no no no no." 

"Virgil, it’s okay. I've forgiven you a long time ago." 

"Then why?"

"I wanted him to see the worst thing you have ever done. I wanted to make sure he actually cared. You're still here, he didn't kill you. And now he's on his way to the airport. Clearly, he does care for you." 

Virgil let out a broken sob. "I'm a monster. He shouldn't care. He shouldn't." 

Valak frowned. He rubbed a hand over his face, the scales on the side of his face providing some bit of calm as he touched them. "Virgil, you have to go after him." 

Virgil shook his head. "No. It's better for him this way." 

Valak felt sorrow swell through his spirit. "What about you? What's better for you?"

Virgil blinked. "I-I'm destined to be alone. But it's okay. I've dealt with it before. Nothing new." 

Valak raised an eyebrow. "What about that house you bought in America?" 

Virgil bit his lip. "When Roman saw where it was, he got excited and said it was in his hometown."

"So?" Valak asked, trying to keep the hopefulness out of his voice.

Virgil sighed. "I-I can't. He doesn't want me anywhere near him. That part is clear. I'm going to respect his wishes." 

Valak let out a loud groan. "You've got to be kidding me!" He cried out, startling Virgil. "Dude! You can't just-" Valak sighed. "It's my fault you are this way." Virgil tried to argue only for Valak to hold up his hand. "You were scared and you didn't have your strength and emotions. You acted out against a threat. It's not your fault. Please, Virgil. You need to forgive yourself. I already have. Please." 

Virgil bit his lip. "I-he hates me. I don't know if I can-can bear to see that look in his eyes. Not his. Anyone else but his." 

Valak frowned. "You're a fucking idiot. He loves you! He told you this not twenty minutes ago! Just pack some shit and go move to that house and get yourself some Prince Charming kisses! Go! Be romantic and sappy and shit! Just please, stop blaming yourself. I had it coming. I know what I did wrong. I've come to terms with my death. Please, Virgil. Please forgive yourself. I've watched you for years as you tore yourself apart. Please. I've come to see you as a brother, please forgive yourself. Please." Tears floated up from Valak's eyes as he kneeled before Virgil. "I am so sorry. For what I did, I forgive you for what you did, I know I am partially to blame, just please. Please, please forgive yourself."

Virgil burst into tears as he watched the spirit of the man he first killed break down in front of him. "Valak, please. I forgive you. I do. And if it will make you happy, I will work on forgiving myself too. Please, forgive yourself." 

Valak let out a wet laugh. "We're just a couple of dead messes aren't we?" 

Virgil laughed. "Yeah, I guess we are." 

A few comfortable moments of silence passed between the spirit and the vampire as they composed themselves. Then Valak stood and look towards the door. "So, are you going to go for your Prince?" 

Virgil bit his lip, still unsure. On one hand, he didn't want to upset Roman. On the other, he wanted to at least clear things up with the man. He stood up slowly as he debated internally. "It will take some time to pack and move.." He said slowly. Valak turned to the vampire with hopeful eyes. "If it doesn't work, I can always just move back here.." 

Valak nodded his head vehemently. "Yes, please! Oh, my baby boy is growing up!" He said as he wiped a fake tear away.

Virgil groaned and tried to shove Valak only to fall through him and face plant it. Valak froze before he burst out laughing, his feet leaving the floor as he floated through the air, holding his stomach as he laughed. Virgil groaned. "I regret everything," he said into the stone. Too embarrassed to get up.

Valak snorted as he opened the doors for Virgil. "You're just a regular disaster aren't you?" He chuckled. "Now, go get your princey." 

\-----

As Roman sat in his seat on the plane ride home, he couldn't help but feel like he had left his heart back in the room with Virgil. He bit his lip as he opened his phone and navigated to his photos. He found an album labeled simply V and after a moment's hesitation, clicked on the album. What must have been dozens of pictures flooded his screen. Each showing Virgil in some sort of way. Most of them were sneaky photos of the man-Roman paused. The vampire. He wasn't a man. He was a vampire. But even as Roman tried to dehumanize Virgil, he couldn't. 

He had never once felt threatened by Virgil in the time he stayed in the castle. Even after his nightmare, he was scared but deep down, he knew Virgil would not hurt him. No matter what he knew of vampires, he knew that Virgil was in no way, a monster. And he hated it. The villagers had told him of the devils in the castle and yet, all he saw was Virgil. 

Roman sighed and locked his phone. Hopefully, he would be able to forget all about this when he got home. He didn't want his princely duties to argue with his heart. It was already painful before he knew Virgil was a vampire for sure. And now, he felt as if he was being eaten alive. Roman huffed and leaned back against his seat. He closed his eyes and hoped that Patton and Logan would be free when he got home. He would need a lot of distractions to keep himself from breaking completely. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think


	9. It's Hard Going Through a Breakup When You Weren't Together in the First Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman makes it home and worries his friends with how depressed he was. They find the money Virgil put in his bag and Roman's forced to tell them what happened. They don't exactly believe him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long, insecurities have been raising the room for a long time.

When Roman's plane landed he wasn't feeling much better. He almost felt inherently worse. The dismal white halls of the airport certainly weren't helping. And it was late. The airport was fairly deserted aside from the people required to be there due to jobs or flights and after the long flight, Roman just wanted to drop down and sleep forever. However, he couldn't and he knew that. 

With a tired sigh, Roman pulled his luggage behind him as he left the baggage claim area and moved toward the exit, pulling out his phone as he did so. He stepped outside and found a seat to sit down, the world around him filled with darkness, not unlike how he was feeling inside. He dialed a taxi service and waited. When the cab came, he hurried into the back seat and quickly told the driver his address, before sitting back and letting out a deep breath. After a decently sized drive, the car stopped in front of his home and he quickly climbed out pulling out the money to pay his fair. He stumbled the walk to his door and unlocked it, pushing it open before stepping inside. 

As soon as the door was closed, Roman dropped his things and locked the door. Making sure he had his carry on, he carefully made his way up the stairs and into his bedroom. He plugged in his phone and charger before going to the bathroom to change. Throughout the whole process he avoided looking in the mirror, knowing that if he did, he would see an exhausted and heartbroken man. He knew he would have to address what had happened only hours ago, but he knew that if he tried to right now, he would just burst out into tears. And he was too tired to deal with that right now. So, with a heavy heart, he crawled into bed and fell into a restless slumber. 

\---- 

Patton loved mornings. While his husband wasn't much of a morning person, he was and it allowed him time to cook breakfast in bed for his love and that was the best thing ever in Patton's personal opinion. So he gently climbed out of the comfy bed and tiptoed to the door. Before he left, he glanced back and smiled softly at the sight of his content husband sleeping peacefully in their big bed. 

With a hop in his step, Patton walked downstairs into the kitchen to make breakfast for Logan. He pulled down two bagels and popped them into the toaster as he grabbed some cream cheese and Crofters jam from the fridge. The bagels popped up and Patton quickly placed them on two plates before smearing cream cheese over the halves of one and Crofters of the halves of the other bagel. He smiled as the scent of fresh bagels tickled his nose and turned to pull out some orange juice as he set the coffee on. 

Patton giggled lightly as he noted he probably should have put the coffee on first. He set about grabbing a mug and poured some coffee for Logan once there was enough in the pot to fill the mug. He carefully set everything on the breakfast trey and made his way upstairs into the bedroom. He smiled upon seeing Logan still fast asleep. He pressed a light kiss to his forehead and moved over to open the curtains ever so slightly to allow enough light in the room to see but not enough to blind anyone. 

"Loggybear," Patton called softly as gently shook Logan from sleep. "It's time to get up." 

"Mmmm." A groan. 

Patton grinned. "Come on, Mr. Sanders, it's time to get up. I brought Crofters." 

Before Patton could even finish the first syllable, Logan had shot upright as he blearily looked around trying to find his favorite jam. "Croft-" he yawned. "-ers?" 

Patton giggled once more and picked up the trey from where he had placed it on the bedside table. "Bagel and Crofters," he confirmed as he set it down on the bed beside Logan. Logan rubbed the sleep from his eyes and squinted at the trey. He reached forward and grabbed the mug as he picked up one half of his bagel. He took a sip before setting it back down and began to munch on his bagel. He let out a happy hum. 

Patton grinned and picked up his own bagel. The couple sat in blissful silence as they are their breakfast. Slowly, Logan woke up. By the time he finished his bagel and coffee, he was coherent enough to find his glasses and put them on. "Good morning, love," he called to Patton softly. 

Patton visibly brightened (if that was even possible) and leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Logan's cheek. "Good morning, Lo. How'd you sleep?" 

"Satisfactory. How did you sleep?" 

Patton smiled fondly. "I slept well." 

The two sat in pleasant silence some more, just enjoying the others company before it was broken by a ping from Logan's phone. Patton jumped with Logan glanced over and picked his phone up from the nightstand. "Oh, it's from Roman." Patton brightened. His kiddo! He hadn't heard from him in so long! "He says he's home now." 

"Oh! Yay! We should go see him today Logan!" Patton exclaimed as he bounced up and down on the bed excitedly before calming and stopping. "What else did he say? Did he say how it went? Did he say how excited he was to be home? Did he-" Patton stopped as he took in Logan's frowning features. "What's wrong?" He asked as he scooted closer, pushing the trey to the other side of the bed. "What did he say?" 

Logan set his phone down as he puzzled. "That's exactly it, Patton. He didn't say anything else aside from, 'I'm home now.'" 

Patton's expression morphed into one of worry and concern. "Is that really all he said?" Logan nodded and handed his phone to Patton so his husband could see for himself. Patton felt tears burn at the back of his eyes as tried to process exactly what was going on. Roman was home. But he wasn't calling them immediately or even barging into their home to tell them all about his trip. And that was unusual. Roman was always a very excitable person. And they always had to sit through at least two hours of him recounting exactly what happened on trips he sometimes took and the fact that he wasn't doing that, not even a call but a text and such a simple one at that. It was concerning. "What do you think is wrong?" Patton asked. 

Logan frowned. "I don't know. Last we talked to him he was making great progress and said he would be home soon." Logan's frown deepened. "Assuming he would have arrived home in the last 8 or so hours considering if he knew we were awake he surely would have asked us to pick him up. And his flight his around 19 or so hours flight he would had to have left around 4 or 5? What would be so urgent to make him leave so early?" 

Patton bit his lip nervously. "I don't know but I think we should go to Roman's place and make sure he's okay." 

Logan adjusted his glasses. "Yes, that would be the best course of action to confirm our friend's feelings and comfort him." 

Patton stood and walked to his closet. He pulled clothes out and got dressed. On his way out the bedroom door, he paused. "I think we should stop by the store and grab him something for breakfast. I have a feeling he's not going to feel like eating." 

Logan nodded and stood to get dressed. "Yes, that would be wise." With that, the couple went about finishing getting ready. 

\-----

The first time Roman woke up he was still tired and as soon as he woke up his mind went gay to Virgil. So he sent a quick message to Logan and Patton telling them he was home before he rolled over and went back to bed, trying to ignore the tears threatening to spill over his cheeks. He wasn't upset. He was just tired. He couldn't be upset, the man lied to him and was a vampire. He really wasn't upset. He was just tired. That's all. 

\-----

The next time Roman woke up, it was to soft humming as someone gently played with his hair.  _ "Where the north wind meets the sea, there's a river full of memories,"  _ the voice sang gently as one does when singing a lullaby. Roman shifted and the voice paused. 

"Is that Disney?" Roman asked sleepily. 

A soft chuckle was heard from further away from him, towards his dresser. "Only you would up out of a dead sleep to Disney," the voice said. A voice that sounded quite similar. 

"Logan?" Roman grumbled as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. 

"Yes, it is I. And Patton is sitting next to you." 

Roman opened his eyes and groaned as he tried to adjust to the lighting. Maybe he needed to invest in darker curtains. "When did you guys get here?" 

"Not that long ago. Maybe half an hour," Logan answered. Now that Roman's eyes were open, he could see that his childhood best friend was putting his clothes and such away.

"How'd you sleep, kiddo?" Patton asked. Roman turned and saw the other leaning back against his headboard. 

"Uh, I'm still a little tired," he answered. Patton hummed. Roman looked between the married couple and took note of a few things they must have been leaving unsaid. "So….what are you doing here?" 

Patton shifted a little uncomfortably, unsure if they should bring it up while Logan cut right to the chase. "We became concerned when we didn't receive your usual fanfare when you returned. Even more so when we arrived to find your things still packed and you still sleeping despite it being past your usual wake up times. Now, we could excuse these as jet lag but we would rather make sure you were actually okay." 

Roman sighed. He didn't really want to confront anything at this moment. He'd rather just forget it all happened. "I'd rather not talk about it," he answered slowly. "At least not now." 

Logan and Patton frowned but didn't push. And for that Roman was grateful. They say in a not quite pleasant silence for a few moments. A silence that was broken as Logan reached the bottom of Roman's duffel bag. 

"What the hell is this??!" He shrieked. 

Under different circumstances, Roman might have laughed at Logan shrieking, but at this moment, he was already a little on edge. Scared that Virgil might have left some kind of vampire egg or something in his bag, he leaped out of bed and raced over only to see Logan pulling a huge stack of cash. 

Roman froze. "What?" He asked. 

Patton and Logan turned to him. "Where did this come from?" 

Roman could only shake his head. "I-I don't know." Fear flashed in his eyes. "All I know is that I was just throwing my stuff in my suitcase and stuffing things in my bags and hurrying to get out of there!" Roman began hyperventilating as he crouched down, holding his hands against his head. "He had to have put it there. He probably knows where I live now! Oh no! He's gonna come here and kill us and they're be nothing we can do to stop him!" Logan and Patton shared a glance before kneeling down in front of their friend. "Roman," Patton started softly. "You're gonna have to tell exactly what happened, kiddo. We want to understand but we can't unless you help us to." 

Roman whimpered. "I-I...I just-" he coughed. "A few moments." Once he had calmed down enough to talk and breathe better, Roman took a deep breath and began to tell his friends about everything. 

\-----

A week had passed since Roman told his friends of what happened the night he rushed onto a plane and came home. They hadn't believed him completely. To them, the part about his host being a vampire was impossible. However, they concluded that Roman was indeed telling the truth and tried to come up with the idea that Virgil was possibly just a serial killer and not some kind of mythical creature. The idea wasn't one that Roman was fond of but maybe it could explain what he thought he saw. 

Since coming home, he had to adjust back to life outside of a castle and its grounds. It was fairly easy. He didn't feel so confined as he had at the castle. And adjusting back to an environment filled with people was fairly easy as well. The first day was hard. His heart missed Virgil. And while his mind tried to convince it he was better off without him, his heart just couldn't be convinced, almost as if things were not as they seemed. But for the first time in forever, Roman found himself ignoring his heart. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think?

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think?


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